Valley facing struggle to attract GPs

EFFORTS TO persuade GPs to live and work in the upper Calder Valley is the biggest challenge facing health chiefs, it has been claimed.

The Calder Valley, which includes Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd, is a difficult area to recruit staff, Calderdale Council’s adults, health and social care scrutiny board was told.

The board’s chairman, Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse)

and ward councillor Coun Steve Sweeney (Lab, Todmorden) presented a report highlighting the problem of recruiting GPs and other staff, including nurse practitioners.

Coun Mike Barnes (Lab, Skircoat) said the biggest issue raised in the report was the problem of recruitment.

“I’m not sure that issue is going to go away very soon,” he said. “Have we actually asked people why they don’t want to come and work in Todmorden and the upper valley?

“It’s roughly halfway between Leeds and Manchester, it’s a beautiful part of Calderdale, it’s a very nice place to live and it should connect with people all around the area.”

Hebden Bridge GP Nigel Taylor said the area’s appeal was not attracting younger staff. Just two weeks ago, a young GP had been interviewed and offered a job, but he replied that he had changed his mind and it was too far away for him as he did not want to commute from Bradford.

The chief finance officer and deputy chief officer of Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group, Neil Smurthwaite, said there was no trouble recruiting for other parts of Calderdale. At Hebden Bridge group practice, the number of GPs has reduced from 12 to seven in three years. At Todmorden Group Practice, there are seven GPs but most are part-time.